Holder for eggs or the like



April 6, 1943. J. L coYLE HOLDER FOR EGGS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 11; 1940 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 OFFICE HOLDERFOR EGGS OR THE LIKE Joseph L. Coyle, London, Ontario, Canada, as-

Signor to Leon Benoit, NewYork, N. Y. Application October 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,731.

4 Claims.

My present invention which relates generally to a bottomed filler or other self-supporting cellular holder providing individual cushion support for the contained objects is concerned in large part'with an assembly of cross walls and blanks which may be easily put and kept together, and be manipulated readily to place the structure in a flattened condition of collapse convenient for packing, shipping and storage, or to open it out for erection into an operative holder wherein objects such as eggs or the like may be safely contained and accessibly displayed.

These and other objects will more fully appear in the succeeding description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing which il-- lustrates a suggestive embodiment of my invention in the manner following:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holder with one of its walls partially broken away to more clearly exhibit the construction;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the assembled holder, with the two blanks disposed in parallelism ready to permit collapse of the structure;

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections taken, respectively, on lines 3-3 and 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a development view of one of the blanks. I

My'present holder comprises a pair of two like blanks B each scored or otherwise formed to provide parallel bend lines 6, 1, 8, and 9, whereby to define certain sections a, b, c, d, and e.

certain sections which will be referred to as an inner bottom a, an outer bottom b, a side 0, a

cover d, and a flap e. The two blanks so formed are disposed in complementary relation with the inner bottoms adjacent each other.

Each blank is also notched at IU along the minating short of the first bend line 6, as best shown in Fig. 5. Aligned with these slots is a second series of elongated closed slots l3 disposed wholly within the bottom and side sections 1) and c, each slot crossing the bend line 1.

In the erected holder these sections constitute, in order,

A series of cross walls 0 complete the present holder. The number of these cross walls is one in excess or the number of cells in each'row. While I have shown a 2 x 3 arrangement containing but six cells, it isto be understood that the features of this invention may be applied to holders of different capacity, such for example as a 2 x 6 container.

Each cross wall C is formed with a slot l5 extending inwardly from its top edge and desirably flared as at H5 at the entrance to its open end. Each upper corner of the cross wall is notched to provide an arcuate edge 20 which extends inwardly and upwardly from a stop shoulder 2| at its outer end to tin-upwardly extending edge 22 which forms an abutment. The bottom edge 23 of each cross wall is broken by slots 24 each having a narrow central opening 25 beyond which are diverging edges 26 which join with an arcuate edge extending through approximately To assemble my holder, each blank is folded along the bend line 6 to facilitate insertion of the cross walls through the registering slots I2 and I3 up to the point of the abutment edges 22. By so proceeding, the two blanks are definitely located in parallel but spaced relation, the lower edges of the folded blanks along their bend lines 6 being disposed opposite the central openings 25 of'the two slots 24 (see Fig. 2). When the outer bottoms b and sides 0 are aligned, each slot l3 will be sufiiciently lengthened to permit passage of the stop shoulders 2| therethrough, but with retention of the normal bend at the line 'I this slot is, in effect, shortened, so that disassembling of the blanks and cross walls cannot readily take place. While the blanks remain folded in parallelism (as in Fig. 2), the cross walls C may be swung fiatwise about axes which lie opposite the slots, whereby to collapse the blanks and cross walls into a flattened state convenient for packaging and shipping.

To erect the present holder, the blanks are permitted, in response to their resiliency, to open out, assisted manually, if need be, during this operation. The cross walls are thereby caused to swing out to parallel positions, transversely of the blanks, as required in the erected structure. The inner and outer bottoms of each blank diverge to form a pair of V-troughs extending longitudinally of'the holder. Each trough is intersected by the cross walls to define the desired cells.

The blanks may then be further bent along their lines I. and, after a filling operation. further bends are made along the lines 8 and 8, whereby to provide top closures which are adapt: ed to remain in place when the flaps a are tucked within the central slots l5 (see Figs. 3-5). Gutward lateral movement of the sides 0 is limited by the shoulders 2| The outer bottoms are free to shift outwardly until engagement is made with the proximate diverging edges 26 of the slots 24. When an article is placed in one of the cells, the outer bottoms may accordingly yield up to this point. Likewise, each inner bottom is free to move inwardly up to the point of its engagement with the proximate diverging slot edges 26. The sides cannot yield outwardly beyond the shoulders 2| so that they remain always in a relatively vertical position. The interfitting tabs l l on the two blanks project slightly into the several cells so as to assist, if need be, in furnishing lateral support to the articles held therein. Should the load cause the trough walls to sag, the tabs may slide past each other a considerable distance before the adjacent blank edges can separate, so that this feature contributes to a stabilizing of the relationship between the several compartments of the holder structure.

-' The present holder is advantageous in the re-' spects that assembling of the blanks and cross walls may be accomplished with ease, the parts being maintained in their intended relationship by the inherent tension of the material used (chip-board or other suitable fibrous material) which normally produces a bend at the line 7 whereby the length of the slots I3 are reduced to the point that the shoulders 21 will prevent separation of the blanks from the cross walls.

The spacing of the two blanks, in the erected condition of the holder, is automatically effected by the positions of the slots which extend inwardly from the bottom edges of the cross walls, the bottom sections of the blanks tending to swing out until they are in substantial alignmentwith the diverging edges of these slots against which they may rest. The relationship, therefore, of the several coacting parts on the cross walls and blanks is such as to facilitate the assembly of these elements, their changes in relative positions whereby the assembled holder may be collapsed or restored to a condition of erection, and the accommodation within the cells of articles requiring protection, and which may vary somewhat in size. In use, the blanks will afi'ord the requisite support for the contained articles, and at the same time maybe folded over to provide a pair of covers forming a closure for the entire holder, as well as a general reinforcement for the entire structure.

I claim:

1; A holder for eggs or the like in which is comprised a pair of like blanks each formed with a plurality of spaced parallel bend lines along which the blank may be folded to provide, in order, a pair of angularly related bottom sections, a side section and a cover section, the blank edge adjacent the inner bottom section being notched to provide a plurality of evenly spaced tabs, the blank being also formed with a series of parallel slots extending inwardly from the notched edge, one adjacent each tab, and each slot being confined wholly within the inner bottom section and terminating short of the bend line proximate thereto, there being also a second series of slots,

' aligned with the first series and disposed wholly within adjacent portions of the outer bottom section and side section connected therewith, and a plurality of cross walls, each interfitted within a pair of slots, one in the first and the other in the second series of each blank, each cross wall being formed with a pair of slots extending inwardly from its bottom edge, each such cross wall slot having a narrow central opening beyond which the opposite slot edges widely diverge to provide rests with which the associated blank may engage when the bottom sections thereof are divergingly extended, the tabs of one blank being adapted to interfit with the tabs of the other blank when the bottom sections are divergingly extended and the bottom sections providing cushion, cells therebetween, the blanks when collapsed within such slots being constrained by the narrow central portions thereof to occupy positions of substantial parallelism whereby the blanks, with cross walls interlocked therewith, may be folded into flat condition.

2. A holder for eggs or the like wherein is combined a plurality of spaced ,One-piece vertical parallel cross walls each provided with registering pairs of slots spaced apart a fixed distance and extending inwardly from its bottom edge,

each slot having a narrow opening beyond which the slot edges are extended divergingly, and a pair of like blanks each formed withspaced longitudinally extending parallel bend linesadapted to define two angularly related bottom sections and a side section extending upwardly from one of them, each blank being formed with a plurality of transversely extending slots arranged in aligned pairs, whereby to render each blank re-v ceivable within one set of registering slots of the cross walls for interfitting therewith the two bottom sections adapted to rest against the diverging slot edges of the cross walls to derive support therefrom and be maintained thereby a tially in alignment with one of the slots ad-' jacent the bottom edge, and a pair of like blanks each formed with spaced longitudinally extending parallel bend lines adapted to define two ang ularly related bottom sections and a side section extending upwardly [from one of them, each blank being formed with a plurality of transversely extending slots arranged in aligned pairs whereby to render each blank receivable withinone set of the registering slots of the cross walls for interfitting therewith with the two bottom sections adapted to rest against the diverging slot edges of the cross walls to derive support therefrom, each blank when collapsed, with one bottom section folded against the other bottom section and the side section, being adapted to occupy a substantially vertical position in which the side section is rested against the abutment and the adjacent bottom section is rested against one side of the aligned slot adjacent the lower edge of the cross wall, permittingthe assembled blanks and cross walls to be swung into a fiatwise condition without disturbing their assembled relationship. l p

4. A holder for eggs orthe like wherein is combined a plurality of spaced one-piece vertical parallel-cross walls provided with registering pairs of slots spaced apart a fixed distance and extending inwardly from their bottom edges, and with registering pairs of slots each extending inwardly from the top edges between spaced shoulders forming inner and outer abutments, the former in substantial alignment with one edge portion of one of the bottom slots, and a.

pair oi like blanks, each formed with spaced longitudinally extending parallel bend lines adapted to define two hingedly connected bottom sections and a side section extending upwardly from one of them, each blank being formed with a. plurality of transversely extending slots arranged in aligned pairs whereby to render each blank receivable within one set of the registering upper and lower slots of the cross walls for interfltting'therewith, the inner and outer a'but- 1 ments of the upper slots serving to confine movements of the side sections to a. limited range in one end position of which the side sections are in substantial parallelism to permit, when the bottom sections are also swung into parallelism with the side sections, free swinging movement of the assembled cross walls and blanks through a distance of substantially 180.

JOSEPH L. COYLE. 

